The Espresso Break

The Hospital for Dolls

2012-12-18T17:13:00.002+01:00

Nook of Naples: Take a left at the end of Christmas Alley and walk towards the Duomo. Very shortly you will happen upon the Ospedale delle Bambole, a shop that has existed since the 1800's. It's small, quaint, and a little macabre. The dolls are on sale or you can bring your own to get fixed.

Today I leave this shopping experience to my pictures:

Getting There: Via San Biagio dei Librai 81

Christmas Alley

2012-12-18T17:13:00.001+01:00

Nook of Naples: The famous precipe (or nativity scenes) sold down Christmas Alley year round are a 'must-do' for any visitor to Naples. The street also provides some fantastic shopping for the holidays, although during December hordes of people trample through. The pulcinella also feature down this street, which are the well-known Neapolitan puppets.

To know more about Christmas Alley and the precipe, I'd like to give a fantastic blogger of Christmastime In Italy center stage. Check out her pictures of the precipe and explanation of how Neapolitans use these delightful ornaments.

Here I'll provide a map on how to get to Christmas Alley, formally known as Via San Gregorio Armeno and located in the heart of downtown Naples.

The Veiled Christ

2012-12-18T17:13:00.000+01:00

Nook of Naples: Only meters away from Christmas Alley, one of the 'wonders of the world' lies tucked down a narrow street inside the Cappella Sansevero. The Veiled Christ was sculpted by Giuseppe Sanmartino during the Rococo period. Little is known about the artist except that he was part of a larger group who bedecked this church with more than thirty works of art.

But far more interesting for the visitor is the man who reconstructed and commissioned these pieces during the 1700's. An Italian noble and scientist, Raimondo di Sangro invented a long range canon while serving in the military and created a water-proof cape for his friend Charles Bourbon who became king of Naples in the early 1700's .

Raimondo's interest in alchemy made rumors abound that he could create blood out of nothing, that he could replicate the liquefaction of San Gennaro's blood, and that he killed people to use their bodies for experiments. While the veracity of these claims remains unknown, we do know that he was head of the Neapolitan masonic lodge, for which the Church excommunicated him. Although the Church eventually revoked his excommunication thanks to Raimondo's influence within the city, after his death in 1771 the Church threatened to excommunicate Raimondo's family if they didn't agree to destroy his writings as well as the results of his scientific experiments. Raimondo's family acquiesced and today the man who brought us such wonderful art is himself shrouded in mystery.

Getting There: Via de Sanctis 19 (They charge a 6 Euro admission, 5 Euros if you have an Artecard. No pictures allowed.)

The Precepe

2012-12-18T17:10:00.000+01:00

Nook of Naples: Most Neapolitans set up precepe (also known as creche, cribs, or nativity scenes) in their homes during Christmas. The precepe are often very elaborate and the pieces are collected little-by-little over many years. Christmas Alley is well-known as a place to buy these miniature treasures.

But to see breathtaking precepe, The San Martino Charterhouse displays an exquisite number as part of their museum collection. While the exhibition is open all year round, most people come during Christmas.

A precepe is a depiction of the birth of Jesus in three dimensional form. Saint Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first nativity scene in 1223 at Greccio, Italy. His intent was to shift the focus of Christmas back to the worship of Christ from the secular materialism he saw during his time. His nativity scene was a living one with humans and animals. Over the centuries nativity scenes became ever more elaborate, figurines being made of ivory, wax and other materials.

At the San Martino Charterhouse, the precepe exhibition was established in 1879 by architect and playwright Michele Cuciniello. Over time it was enriched with other collections. Notably, a figurine on display at the museum was created by the artist who sculpted the Veiled Christ, Giuseppe Sanmartino (see the picture of the king on a horse above).

Wandering the precepe here, the life-like scenes portray a 'dream factory' where the everyday frenzy of Naples melts into scene after scene of idealistic rural life.

Getting There: Largo San Martino 8. Perched on top of the mountain with breathtaking views, the Charterhouse is right next to Castel Sant'Elmo. (And note: an odious woman is connected to this Charterhouse, so you'll be hearing more about it soon!)

Neapolitan Christmas Pastries

2012-12-01T17:14:00.000+01:00

Regional pastries abound throughout the city and during Christmas three desserts in particular can be seen in pasticcerie everywhere: Struffoli, Mostacciuoli, and Rococo.

The guru of neapolitan desserts, Luciano Pignataro, has written a fabulous and comprehensive book I dolci napoletani where he reveals the secrets of these Christmas treats. For English speakers, he has translated the Christmas page of the book at his website with a bit of the history of the three treats as well as recipes for each.

Here, I'll only give a brief history of the treats as well as pictures:

Struffoli: Once prepared by nuns in Naples and given as a gift to noble families at Christmas, this dessert consists of fried balls flavored with honey and decorated with multi-colored candied almond balls.

Mostacciuoli: Are said to bring good luck.

Rococo: Nuns prepared this treat all the way back in 1320. They are hard biscuits that are then soaked in vermouth or wine.

Buon Natale!

Le Fontanelle Cemetery

2012-02-26T08:32:00.001+01:00

Penny Ewles-Bergeron writes today's eerie post about a Naples cemetery that has re-opened to the public:

In the seedy Sanità district, the O Campusanto de Funtanelle for many years acted as a bridge to the afterlife where the living tenderly cared for the skulls of the departed. The cavernous space retains an atmosphere shot through with Gothic imagery where fetishistic bric-a-brac drapes over thousands of skulls and bones.

The Sanità district once lay outside the Greco-Roman city and provided a burial place for pagans before Christian interments took over. The vast cavity, which was first a tuff rock quarry, came into use as a burial ground for the excluded – the urban poor, victims of plague (at least 300,000 died in 1656), earthquake, insurrection, executions, and cholera (1836-7).

When the Bourbons razed many churches, the remains of Neapolitans came up to La Fontanelle. In the late 18^th century, despite family members thinking their loved ones had secured a church interment, they might have been bundled into a sack at the dead of night and offloaded here. It’s estimated that 40,000 rest in plain sight, but at least four more meters of human remains hide under the floor level.

At some time in the late 17^th century a rushing torrent of rain washed much of the contents of the cemetery out into the streets, creating a scene of apocalyptic horror. Then followed the first attempt to put some order into the charnel house, stacking together the skulls and bones. Father Gaetano Barbati continued this effort until, in 1872, the cult of devotion to the Anime Pezzetelle, or Poor Souls, became popular. The ritual included the selection of a capuzzella (skull) which was polished carefully and placed on an embroidered handkerchief with a rosary encircling it. Later, a lace trimmed cushion was substituted, small oil lamps lit, and flowers added.

The supplicant waited for the soul to be revealed to him or her in a dream. It was thought the soul needed some kind of refreshment: ’A refrische ’e ll’anime d’o priatorio’. If the skull seemed to sweat, that meant some success. The grace or favor sought might be the finding of a son missing in war, winning lottery numbers, or a much-longed for pregnancy. If this was not forthcoming, Neapolitans made no bones about putting the pampered skull back in the general mass of remains and beginning the process anew.

Many stories grew up about particular skulls, devotees imposing names and personalities onto their favorite skulls and, if things worked out well, giving them special stone or wooden boxes in which to repose; even a biscuit tin would do. In vain Archbishop Corrado Ursi labored to eradicate this veneration in 1969; even in the late 1970’s cars waited outside the locked gates of Le Fontanelle for the bones of Don Francesco, a Spanish cabalist long departed from this world, to reveal upcoming Lotto numbers.

Step into any of the three huge trapezoidal cavities and the atmosphere will begin to work on you, whether in front of the headless but winged statue of San Vincenzo Ferreri (1330-1419) whose cloth robe moves with the breeze, or before the three crosses set in heaped skulls laced with cobwebs. For many years the cemetery was closed to the public, but now visitors can enter thanks to an overnight occupation by locals that got the municipal authorities’ attention.

Getting There: Not an easy drive by car, consider taking the train to Piazza Cavour station (Metropolitana) and then getting on C51 bus in front of Tommaso Campanella School. A twenty minute ride takes you to the Fontanelle stop. Alternatively, walk from Materdei station.

The address is Piazza Fontanelle alla Sanità 154, Naples. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Wednesdays, the entrance is free. Call at 081 544 1305 or email: info@catacombedinapoli.it.

Hidden Secrets at the Convento di San Bartolomeo

2012-01-15T08:05:00.005+01:00

Don Gawlik, an avid explorer of the Campania region, returns for this guest post! He found this Convento in a small village of Campagna and writes of its secrets here. Thank you, Don!

The Sunday Skip: Not far from Salerno, deep in the heart of Campania, is a town that was holding a secret for sixty years. Its position high at the mouth of a mountain canyon was the reason for the location of this mystery. Located past its medieval center, up a walking path too steep for motorized vehicles, was an abandoned convent that became a perfect choice. Residences to the left of the stone path are one house deep, backing to a cliff. The mountainside on the right is steep terrain. The ruggedness of the area made the site an advantage.

Elizabetta Bettina, author of It Happened in Italy, is a native New Yorker, but spent many summers of her teenage years with her grandmother in this village named Campagna. She had heard references to a few Jews hidden in the surrounding mountains, but it wasn’t until six years ago that she began to piece together the part this town played in the story of Jews interned in Italy during WWII. The story had not intentionally been kept a secret - for the people of Campagna, it was something they did, and then life just moved on.

During WWII, the old Convento di San Bartolomeo was overseen by Bishop Giuseppe Maria Palatucci. His nephew, Giovanni Palatucci, born in Montella, in Avellino provence, was working in northern Italy as an Italian police officer for the Mussolini government. His job was to process foreign residents in Italy.

Italy was the only government that kept its borders open to Jews until the war began. Many Italians, following their collective conscience, did not do what they were told to do, but did what they thought was right. Giovanni Palatucci, taking advantage of his position in the government, worked to enable people to leave Italy with false documents, or, if he couldn’t, arranged to send them to his uncle in Campagna. It has now been said by surviving Jews that the Bishop’s Convento di San Bartolomeo symbolized goodness during the Holocaust.

Jews were interned in Italy. Next to Denmark, Italy had the highest survival rate of any Nazi-occupied country. Yet, unlike other countries in Europe, “The Italians treated them [Jews] like human beings,” said Auschwitz survivor Edith Moskovich Birns, from It Happened in Italy. Thousands survived because of the generosity of these Italians.

For many, it was internment, Italian style.

Campo di San Bartolomeo was like other camps in Italy - they were not work camps, nor death camps. They were more like detainment camps for displaced persons, where Jews, and other internees, were generally treated with dignity and respect. They were known to have schools, synagogues, rabbis, weddings. Time might have been spent playing playing cards, or reading. Campagna’s internees were allowed to organize a library, school, theater, synagogue, and their own newsletter. A team played local soccer. Families separated in camps were frequently reunited. In some areas where camps did not exist, apartments were provided and Italian rations granted.

Campo di San Bartolomeo was an internato libero (internment that was free). Because of the convent’s confined space, internees were allowed to leave, but had to stay in town, signing in at the police office daily. Carabinieri permission was needed if one wanted to leave for the day.

After September 8, 1943, everything thing changed for the Jews in camp. Italy stopped fighting on the side of the Germans and joined the Allies. The Germans remained in Italy and began to hunt for the Jews that the Italians would not deport.

Entering Campagna that September, officers intended to move the Jews to extermination camps in Poland and Germany. They informed those in charge that they intended to come the next day for the Jews. The internees exited a window that night and fled into the local mountains. Only to the Germans had they disappeared, though. The Italians continued to care for those in hiding. Thousands all over Italy were sheltering and helping Jews after September 8.

The Campo di San Bartolomeo remained in operation until September of 1944. After the war, former internees contributed to restoration of the convent. The Itinerario della Memoria e della Pace (Route of Memory and Peace), in honor of the goodness of Giovanni Palatucci, was recently dedicated at the restored convent. “There was no difference between us and the Italians,” said survivor Walter Wolff in It Happened in Italy.

After being arrested in September of 1944, the Germans sent Giovanni Palatucci to Dachau where he died on February 10, two months before liberation. He has been called the Italian Shindler.

Before you visit, call Carmine Granito at 339.280.9483. He will open the museum for you. He loves to help visitors and groups understand the museum, but a knowledge of Italian will help, as he speaks little English. Most information in the museum is in English, however. There is no entrance fee.

Getting There: Follow autostrada A3 east, and about 35 km. past Salerno take the Campagna exit. Then, follow local signs to the town. After entering town, follow signs to the parking area. Walk back to the main piazza, and across the street from the war memorial is the first sign for the itinerario. You will follow the main street uphill, stopping at other informational signs long the way. The route will conclude at the Chiesa di San Bartolomeo, where the visitor will find the final sign at the entrance to the convent and museum.

The Neapolitan Flip-Over Coffee Pot -- Part II

2011-12-27T17:30:00.001+01:00

A French tinsmith invented the macchinetta Napoletana in 1819. Not much is known about the pot's history beyond that, including when it was introduced to Italy. Only in 1946 did the famous actor, Eduardo De Filippo, make the pot popular in his movie Questi Fantasmi or Three Ghosts. De Filippo holds up the pot and says it's important to put a little paper cone over the spout while the water drains through the grinds; this keeps in the aromas.

While during the early 1900's northern Italians had invented the espresso machine and coffee house culture took hold there, neither of these gained much popularity in the south. Instead, even today, coffee is brewed mostly in the home. While southern Italians now use the Moka pot, the macchinetta Napoletana still remains a quintessentially southern tradition.

This just in from a reader and on-line friend of mine: Gilbert Milone. He found his old grandmother's macchinetta napoletana and sent me the pictures. She used this pot during the 1940's and 1950's -- a pot that is no longer available for sale in Naples or world-wide. It's a true antique:

Thank you Gil for sharing these wonderful photos!

Ten Overlooked Sights In Italy

2011-01-20T06:00:00.000+01:00

When the monthly magazine L'Espresso took a poll to ask Italians what it means to be Italian, people throughout the country overwhelmingly replied their art and history. The sights in Italy are infinite. Every kilometer of the country burgeons with historical gems. While most tourists flock to popular places such as the Vatican, St. Mark's in Venice, or Michelangelo's David in Florence, many more pearls lie hidden in full view. These places have fewer tourists, yet their historical depth tend to intrigue visitors.

Here are my top ten picks of overlooked sights in Italy:

10) The Greek Philosophers City in Velia -- The Greek philosophers Parmenides and Zeno lived and lectured among these ruins in the 5th century B.C. The vast complex has a trail that winds up to a hilltop castle built during medieval times. There's also a Roman theater, a Forum, and a Roman villa tucked behind brush. Velia is located in the Cilento National Park where you can camp, hike, and enjoy the beaches.

9) The Abbey and Cemetery of Montecassino -- One of the few remaining territorial abbeys, this monastery is important to scholars because it holds many original codices from the medieval ages. Built over a Temple of Apollo in the sixth century A.D., the Nazis tried to take over the region in 1944, but a battalion of Polish forces routed them out. A moving tribute to their heroism can be found at the bottom of the abbey in the form of a large cemetery and memorial.

8) The Arberesh in Civita, Calabria -- The Albanians are the largest minority in Italy and have been here since the 16th century when they escaped the Ottoman onslaught across the Adriatic. Today, hotels are named after Skanderbeg and monuments to Albanian heroes are everywhere in this area. The Arberesh have retained an ancient form of Albanian and linguists flock here to study their unique tongue. At Civita, in particular, you can visit the ethnographic museum and walk across a devil's bridge.

7) The Etruscan Tour -- These mysterious ancients left bulbous tombs in Certeveteri, vibrant fresco tombs in Tarquinia, and a 180-meter deep well on the hilltop of Orvieto. Start at the National Etruscan Museum in Rome and then drive through the countryside to each of these impressive towns.

6) The Paper Makers of Amalfi -- The Valley of the Mills is a hiking trail going past the ruins of Amalfi's famous paper mills, which began their production in the 13th century. At the end of the trail, you can picnic next to a beautiful waterfall. Thereafter, you can buy some limoncello in Sorrento, enjoy a concert at Ravello, buy ceramics in Vietri sul Mare, or check out the abundance of things to do in this region at one of my all-time favorite blogs: Ciao Amalfi.

5) The Villa of Tiberius at Sperlonga -- Emperor Tiberius had a summer home in Sperlonga while he still ruled Rome. These ruins now contain a mammoth cave and an impressive museum of items that were found inside the villa. A public beach is right next door. Sperlonga is also near Gaeta, where you can visit Split Rock, Cicero's Tomb, or follow signs 80 km into the mountains to see the Grotto di Pastena.

4) Medieval Physicians of Salerno -- The oldest medical school on the continent also had the largest number of women physicians. They wrote prescriptions for things like wandering uteruses and worms in the ears. Walking toward the medical school means stopping at the macabre Duomo full of anguished scenes of saints as well as their unburied bones. On the way out of the city, you can follow signs to a hilltop Argonese Castle.

3) Sailing with Odysseus across Scylla and Charybdis -- Sailing from the Italian mainland to Sicily, a ferry takes you across the Strait of Messina, considered to be the original Scylla and Charbybdis where Ulysses passed. From here, my top picks for travel in Sicily are the ancient ruins of Agrigento and the ancient philosopher-city of Siracusa.

Strait of Messina

2) Archeological Park of Baia -- Three enormous terraces have baffled archeologists for centuries. Nobody knows definitively what purpose these ruins served. Located in the Phlegraean Fields or Fields of Fire, visitors can wander through what looks like baths, steep stairwells, open gymnasium spaces, and three temples, including the Temple of Echoes.

Temple of Echoes

1) The Sassi Caves of Matera -- These caves date back 7,000 years, but people inhabited them until the 1970's when the government deemed them dangerous and had the caves evacuated. The picaresque city of Matera cuts into a mountain and you can stay in cave hotels. Mel Gibson filmed The Passion of Christ here.

Ten Overlooked Sights of Naples

2011-01-19T06:00:00.000+01:00

Here are my top ten sights of Naples. I call them overlooked because they seldom make it into the travel guides and tend to have fewer tourists, but these gems also won't disappoint. They leave visitors dreaming of mythical lands and legendary heroes.

10) Pizzofalcone -- Mythically said to be where the Siren, Parthenope, was born, the rock is located right beside the Military Academy. Walking around this area feels like a seedy adventure. The streets behind Piazza del Plebiscito become small and you must ask the locals directions at every block. Once you reach the rock itself, there's a fine view of Naples.

9) Entrance to Hades -- Meet Carlo Santillo who will guide you with candles and oil lamps through a Roman military tunnel. He'll also show you the River Styx and the cave where the Sybil uttered her oracles.

8) Temple of Apollo Celebrations -- Come before sundown at the summer or winter solstice as well as the vernal and spring equinoxes and a group of nature-minded Italians will be holding a ceremony to bring together all religions and all cultures. They beat drums and give offerings to nature. The event is free and hosted by Centro Nuova Era.

7) The Papyrus Scrolls at the National Library -- Come nose-to-nose with 2,000 year old papyrus scrolls written in Greek and found during the 18th century at the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum. If you make an appointment, the librarians take you through the backdoors of one of the most prominent and oldest libraries in Europe until you reach this secluded exhibition.

6) The Macabre Dominicans -- Part of the Naples parallel city, the San Guadioso catacombs hide underneath the Santa Maria della Sanita Church. Tours show you the tomb of the African San Guadioso, a stunning fresco of Saint Catherine, and the artwork of Dominicans who painted their wealthy patrons using skulls and skeletons.

Burial Niches

5) Santa Chiara Cloister -- Search for an assassination mystery. Somewhere on the grounds, Queen Joanna I's remains were dumped. Still today no marker bears witness to where the excommunicated Queen rests. Some say they are located up a flight of stairs behind an always locked door. The Cloister itself is decorated with breathtaking Spanish tiles.

The hallway beyond which Queen Joanna's bones might lie

4) Purgatory -- The Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco Church has an underground more macabre than the Dominicans. Since the 17th and 18th centuries, innumerable bones of the deceased have been left unburied here. In particular, people leave flowers and cards alongside the bones of Santa Lucia, a girl stricken by tubercolosis a few days before she was to wed a Marquis.

Underground Chapel

3) Santuaria Sacra -- Religious shops along the two famed streets of Decumano Maggiore and Via Tribunali sell items necessary for the more than 200 churches located in downtown Naples. Priest garbs, Eucharist holders, and knick-knacks are everywhere. One of the most charming are the silver body parts. Buy one of these and head down to Gesu Nuovo Church where you can leave your healed or in-need-of-healing body part in the side chapel of San Giuseppe Moscati, a physician saint.

2) University of Naples Museums -- Winding up a labrynth of stairs, passing students and faculty, several science museums display dinosaur fossils, insects, and artifacts from Troy.

1) Riccardo Dalisi's Workshops -- Architect, tinsmith artist, and maker of the Alessi version of the Napoletana, walking along Rua Catalana you can enjoy Dalisi's art between buildings and on street corners. Two workshops are also open, inspired by Dalisi's works.

Inside a Dalisi inspired workshop

Buon Divertimento!

The Precepe Tour

2010-12-11T06:00:00.233+01:00

The Christmas Special: The Precepe, or nativity scenes, are a Neapolitan tradition that make Christmas particularly special in this city. In keeping with the spirit, I would like to suggest a Saturday walking tour of the most spectacular precepe. Children will particularly love these places and adults will be able to see some of the top sights of Naples, with a Christmas bent.

1) Start at the Villa Comunale in the Chiaia district where you'll easily find parking and enjoy a view of the Bay of Naples and the Castel dell'Ovo. The Villa Comunale is a large park with play sets for kids. A few blocks up the road from here, enter the Santa Maria in Portico Church. Go to the sacristy where you'll find a life-size precepe created in the 17th-century. (Address: Via Santa Maria in Portico 17)

2) Take the funicular at Parco Margherita up to the Vomero district and then walk up the hill to the Certosa di San Martino. The vast number of precepe in this museum are considered the finest in the world, including a figurine created by Guiseppe Sanmartino, the sculptor of the Veiled Christ.

3) Walk down the hill to the Vanvitelli metro station and take the subway to Piazza Dante. You can also take the stairs across the street from the Certosa that wind down into Naples. The stairs provide wonderful overlooks of the city as well as quick access to the city center. However, I've been warned several times that the area is dangerous (even during the day) with mafia, pickpockets, and a descent into some of the seediest places in Spaccanapoli.

Once you get to Piazza Dante, walk down Via Monteoliveto until you come to Piazza Monteoliveto. Take a right into the piazza and you'll find the Sant'Anna dei Lombardi Church. Go into the caverns of the sacristy to find Guido Mazzoni's Lamentation over the Dead Christ (1492), with seven life-size terracotta figures surrounding Christ. Beyond it, you'll also find Vasari's sacristy with wood marquetry and a stunning ceiling fresco. In a room between these two amazing works, you'll find a sprawling precepe scene.

Mazzoni's Lamentation of Christ

Precepe Scene

Vasari Sacristy

4) Go up to Piazza Del Gesu Nuovo and walk down Via Benedetto Croce. This is one of the two main arteries of downtown Naples with a wealth of things to see. Walk along this road and take a left onto Via San Gregorio Armeno, also known as Christmas Alley. (I would highly recommend stopping first in a side street of Via San Severo to visit the Veiled Christ.) If you're at Christmas Alley on a Tuesday morning, you'll also be able to see the miracle of Saint Patricia's blood liquifying.

At Christmas Alley you can buy vintage Neapolitan delights such as pulcinella, the Neapolitan Flip-Over coffee maker, and precepe figurines. But be aware that you won't be able to take precepe through customs, so the precepe you buy in Naples will likely stay in Naples.

5) If you're not tired out by then, walk to Via Duomo, take a left, then take another left on Via Anticaglia. This street is one of the oldest of the city, dating back to Greco-Roman times. Along here, smaller shops tout elaborate handmade precepe also.

On another day, you can also visit the Reggia di Caserta and look for a massive precepe behind glass.

Precepe figurines at the Reggia di Caserta

These are my top six picks of where to find precepe around Naples, but they can be found almost everywhere. What's more, Neapolitans are so proud of this distinct artistic heritage that precepe can be viewed during all months of the year. If you happen to be visiting the city in June, you can also take a precepe tour.

For other ideas of what to see and what to eat during Christmas in Naples, check out my Table of Contents -- Holidays in Naples.

Buon Natale a tutti!

St. Thomas Aquinas

2010-12-08T18:18:00.022+01:00

The Sacristy

Nook of Naples: St. Thomas Aquinas lived in Naples for many years and you can find one of his handwritten works in the Manuscript Department of the National Library.

St. Thomas Aquinas also headed the Theology University beginning in 1272. The University was located at what today is the San Domenico Maggiore church in downtown Naples.

If you visit the church, make sure to look inside the sacristy where 42 coffins are arranged along the balcony. One contains the remains of King Alphonse of Aragon and another of King Ferdinand I of Aragon.

The Tombs along the Balcony

King Ferdinand I of Aragon

A mystery also exists inside this sacristy: the Treasure Room was suppose to hold the human hearts of King Charles II of Anjou as well as King Alphonse and King Ferdinand I, but when the French occupied the Kingdom of Naples in the 19th century, the relics disappeared forever.

Getting There: Vico San Domenico Maggiore 18 (the piazza along Via Benedetto Croce/Via S. Biagio Dei Librai)

Opening Night at Teatro San Carlo

2010-12-06T20:15:00.002+01:00

Arriving on time -- even though the show began a few minutes late -- we searched for the usher roaming somewhere in the hallway. Once found, he fished for a key and then led us to Lilliputian double doors, which he unlocked. We entered the box, left our coats on one of the hooks, passed through velvet red drapery, and sat down on two lonely wooden chairs. With balcony seating, the ceiling fresco was almost in arm's length reach.

I had vertigo before the show began. (It's high up there.) Beneath us, six to eight Italians crunched together in their lower box seats, continuing their chatter long after the singers came on stage. Mirrors along the walls of their boxes reminded us that the Teatro San Carlo was built during the Bourbon period when the King sat in his royal box in the center.

The mirrors allowed audiences to view both the show and the King at the same time. The balcony boxes, however, didn't have mirrors, thereby keeping the riff-raff (like us) from having such an honor. When the lights dimmed and the production began, we hung our bodies over the velvet parapet in order to see most of the stage.

Hasmik Papian, an Armenian opera singer, played the role of Floria Tosca. Keeping her residence in Vienna, she performs world-wide and yesterday she graced Naples with her outstanding voice. After dramatically killing the sadistic Baron Scarpia, then watching the execution of her hapless lover Mario Cavaradossi, Tosca jumped off a bridge and the music ended with emotional force. The audience went wild with applause and shouted "Brava!"

To purchase tickets, I suggest you go directly to the box office during the weekday. You can also take guided tours of the theater. Pictures of the stage aren't allowed, but I was able to take a few images of the lush seating and the actors giving their bows to roaring applause:

Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaavi!

As an additional treat, after the show we walked along the bustling streets of night time Naples. On Sunday afternoons Neapolitans stay at home to eat with their families. Once darkness hits, they take their children and stroll through piazzas and town centers en masse. Stores, outside vendors, restaurants, and caffe's light up the streets and the crowds feel festive.

Last night, I withstood more than three hours of stiletto heels and balcony seating at the Teatro San Carlo in order to enjoy the five o'clock opening show of Giacomo Puccini's La Tosca.

Deluge in Pompeii

2010-12-03T17:20:00.002+01:00

Pompeii Amphitheater

December 3, 2010

By now you've probably heard that it won't stop raining in the Campania region. Newspaper articles also report that the ruins of Pompeii are collapsing. The deluge has persisted for at least three or four weeks. In the last few days my neighbor has even started building an ark. (Little does she know that each night I haul a few buckets of pitch away from the site, so that when the time comes, she'll have no seal for the bottom of her sinking vessel.) During the day, I decided to visit Pompeii to see the real story of the collapsing destruction for myself.

Rest assured, Pompeii remains as it has always been -- in ruins.

I took a map from the Information Office and set off to see the damage. The all-important Forum remains in tact. So do the newly renovated Forum Baths and the famous House of the Faun and Villa of the Mysteries. Walking along the main artery of Via dell'Abbondanza, the street remains in excellent sloped condition and today's rain flowing down toward the Stabia Gate shows how Pompeii inhabitants would have welcomed this deluge because it meant that all the trash during ancient times, from animal feces to human body parts, would have been washed out of the city.

The brothel remains unaffected, the damage reported in the Christian Science Monitor said to be the 'little brothel,' which is not on the tourist map, is never part of any tour, and thus far has never been open to the public.

The 'house of gladiators' is cordoned off and, indeed, rubble appears:

View from Via dell'Abbondanza

Second View from other side of Via dell'Abbondanza

Interestingly, this house has never been open to the public and has never showed up on the map of tourist attractions. Although I had heard of the house, in all my visits to Pompeii I had never been able to find it. Only thanks to the collapse do I now know exactly where the gladiators prepared for combat.

Across the street and a little further down, the House of Venus -- with its vibrantly colored fresco of naked Venus -- still looks fantanstic. During WWII, bombs fell on Pompeii and the House of Venus was obliterated, but archeologists received money in 1952 to reconstruct the villa piece by piece.

Perhaps the recent newspaper reports are all about politics. The EU wants a reason to embarrass right-wing faux-mafia troublemaker Berlusconi (for which I give my wholehearted support). But I also fear a touch of ignorance or at least unreasonable expectations on the part of UNESCO. Archeologists (especially for tourists sake and often under pressure from those who fund them) have always taken artistic license when studying artifacts and rebuilding ruins. They often liberally add modern day plaster or add wooden beams, they restore color to frescoes, and sometimes surmise from a few pebbles what an entire villa may have looked like. Their creations are highly breakable, yet sustain the weight of 3 million visitors per year. Pompeii is Disneyland by another name.

And what's wrong with that?

I would like to thank archeologists for their painstaking work and their layered methodologies. Because, in the end, walking through ruins such as Pompeii is not so much about accuracy as it is about erecting shadows of a lost history that smacks down my modern day hubris. After a visit, I must ask myself: do we really do things better?

Living among these ruins certainly has a strong impact on the culture of Naples. I've noticed time and again that Neapolitans strongly believe 'the old ways are better', whether it be the old ways of making wine, making vintage gloves, or hearkening back to a coffee roaster's decades-long history in order to sell his product.

For most of my visit to Pompeii, the rain came in sheets. Tonight, I again plan to hide more of my neighbor's buckets of pitch inside my apartment. I'm also scratching obscene graffiti along my walls. Sorry Cheryl, but I want my fifteen minutes of fame, even if it will be in 2,500 years from now when archeologists find an ark covered in mud silt, apartment houses with crude water heaters, an unstable electrical network that probably meant regular power outages, and grossly large piles of ossified trash that never washed away from the streets. Also, they'll find a whole room stacked with buckets of pitch and obscene graffiti that was responsible for the drowning of an entire community, and it must certainly have been-- as archeologists will surmise -- over a nasty lover's quarrel.

The Self-Guided Tours: I recently re-wrote my posts on Pompeii, Herculaneum, and the National Archeological Museum, creating them into self-guided tours for anyone who prefers venturing through the life of ancients at their own pace. Hope you may enjoy it.

Saint Patricia's Weekly Miracle

2010-11-30T14:00:00.161+01:00

Nook of Naples: This morning, I attended mass at the San Gregorio Armeno Church in the historic center of Naples. I came for a very special reason -- Saint Patricia's blood is said to liquefy each Tuesday after the 9:30 am service.

Saint Patricia's remains as well as a tooth and a wax imitation of her body lie inside a coffin at a side altar:

In addition, her blood hangs on the left side of the front altar and is covered with a cloth.

Not much is known about Saint Patricia, her deeds transferred only orally throughout the centuries. Purportedly, she was born rich and noble in Constantinople during the seventh century. She was also a descendant of the Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great. Wanting to lead a life of celibacy, she fled to Rome to avoid an arranged marriage. When her father died, Saint Patricia returned to Constantinople and gave all her inherited wealth to the poor. Thereafter, she embarked on a ship back to Rome, but a furious storm drove the vessel to the Gulf of Naples, where she took shelter at the Castel dell'Ovo. With her friends, she decided to establish a prayer community in Naples and spent her life helping the needy of the city until her death in 665.

Further legend has it that her body was venerated for several centuries until, between 1198 and 1214, a knight wanted a memento from Saint Patricia and plucked out her tooth. An outpouring of blood came from the empty cavity, thereafter flowing at different periods of time. Calling it a miracle, nuns preserved some of this blood in two bulbous vials that look like Byzantine perfume bottles.

At San Gregorio Armeno Church, the 'Sisters of Saint Patricia' help with the mass, take care of the cloister, and continue to venerate Saint Patricia's remains. Many of them, interestingly, come from the Philippines.

After this morning's Eucharist, the priest lifted Saint Patricia's blood from the hook, brought it to the middle of the altar, and worshippers stood in a line to kiss the receptacle. Once the mass ended, I approached a nun tidying up the altar and asked if I could see the blood once more. She didn't hesitate. She immediately brought the silver receptacle over to me and I kissed the glass in the middle. Inside it, one opaque vial had a discernible syrupy dark liquid. The sister moved the receptacle, reciting a prayer, while I watched the liquid ooze back and forth inside the vial. I felt a strong agape toward this kind Sister who was so willing to share this with me.

On a more tongue and cheek note, I've already written about the patron saint of Naples, San Gennaro, whose vial of blood is located at the National Cathedral (Il Duomo). His blood liquifies every September 19th as well as the Saturday before the first Sunday in May. The blood of Saint Patricia -- the patroness saint of Naples -- liquifies on her saint's day of August 25th and each Tuesday after the morning mass. This means Saint Patricia performs her miracle 53 times a year. All this definitively proves to me, once again, without a shadow of a doubt that women work harder than men.

Getting There: San Gregorio Armeno Church is located on San Gregorio Armeno Street, also colloquially known as Christmas Alley. The opulent Baroque Church is right in the middle of the precepe shops. After a little shopping for Neapolitan originals like pulcinella, precepe pieces, and the napoletana macchinetta, don't forget to go around the corner to visit the spectacular cloister attached to the church.

Precepe Along Christmas Alley

Pulcinella Along Christmas Alley

The Hidden Faces

2010-11-28T06:00:00.001+01:00

Nook of Naples: The Cappella Pappacoda is owned by the Oriental Institute of the University of Naples and gets its name from the tombs of two aristocratic brothers -- Bishop and Cardinal Pappacoda. The church was founded in the 15th century and the doorway still retains the original late Gothic style. There's also a campanile that is noted for its color contrasts created by the use of different materials. But, the real treat is searching for the hidden faces along the facade. Why was this pair was stuck up on high and who they were remains a mystery to me? Searching for these little gems is the true treat of Naples.

Address: Largo San Giovanni Maggiore

Neapolitan Coffee History... with a Kiss

2010-11-26T06:00:00.002+01:00

This Completes My Tour Of Espresso Twists: Although I boldly traced the beginnings of coffee on the European continent to the Medical School of Salerno in the 12th century, coffee scholars maintain that if coffee was used in the Campania region, then it remained only for home use or quickly disappeared due to its high cost. (The beans would have come from the port town of Mocha in Yemen, the first coffee trading city in the world.)

Once the beverage disappeared, the traveler from Rome, Pietro de Valle, during the 17th century thought he was the first to discover coffee in Constantinople. He wrote about the beverage to his friend in Naples, speaking of the dark brew as though it didn't exist on the European continent. After de Valle not much was written about coffee as it related to Naples, probably because coffee house culture didn't take hold in this region. Caffe Florian in Venice was considered one of the first coffee houses on the continent, established in 1720, but generally, the Italian lands didn't take to the cafe culture either. Meanwhile, coffee houses blazed a trail of popularity in Austria, France, England and the United States. Some coffee scholars even claim that the French Revolution came about due to coffee house culture.

In the early 1900's northern Italians invented the espresso machine and a new kind of coffee culture was born within the boundaries of the new country of Italy. The Neapolitans, however, mostly used the French-invented Flip-Over Coffee Pot in their homes. Only in the 1960's did actor Eduardo de Filippo associate the pot with Naples and Neapolitan culture. His description of Neapolitan coffee -- dark, semi-sweet, and tasting like chocolate -- is what most roasters in the South try to achieve in taste today. What's more, 75% of coffee drinking still takes place in the home with Cafe do Brasil the leader of coffee roasters in southern Italy. The Moka, however, has replaced the Flip-Over Coffee Pot as the a popular stove-top brewing coffee pot and can be found in nearly every home.

Moka Pots and Neapolitan Flip-Over Coffee Pots on display

Today also, the coffee house culture in Naples remains unimpressive. Businessmen don't sit down at a cafe with their laptops, college students don't linger by themselves at a table doing homework, and mothers don't bring their children for a playdate to a cafe. More frequently, the cafe-bar provides a quick sip-and-go at a counter. The emphasis isn't on lingering, but rather on taste. Choosing a local roaster is important to cafe-bars and variations on the espresso is meant for those with a refined sweet-tooth. Espresso twists are in the aristocratic and wealthy tradition of Vincenzo Corrado and Domenico Barbaja, sometimes so rich that they taste more like drinkable desserts.

Because coffee history in Naples is somewhat thin, the beverage can be considered more of a modern drink -- providing the cultural top-layer of a city that boasts being one of the oldest in Europe. Riccardo Dalisi is the modern artist who fuses this modern and Neapolitan traditional culture together in his Alessi version of the Neapolitan Flip-Over Coffee Pot.

Unlike my other tours, espresso twists in Naples cannot be enjoyed as a one or two day tour. (At least, I won't recommend or condone one day's intake of 12,000 calories and 2,300 mm of caffeine!) But as a finale to my Espresso Break Tour, here is my absolute, best of the best, top pick for THE Naples cafe and their fabulous coffee drink:

Intra Moenia

Intra Moenia sits right next to the excavated Greek foundations of Naples. The cafe-bookstore has its own publishing house and is frequented by artists and students. A reigning favorite on the menu is Caffe al Bacio (coffee with a kiss).

The barista coats a brandy glass with syrupy nutella. She then adds a healthy shot of espresso and a dollop of milk foam. Cocoa flakes sprinkle the top. It’s expected that you’ll stir the hot beverage for a long time before taking it down in four or five gulps. Caffe al Bacio also comes with an auditory twist. Intra Moenia is one block away from the music conservatory, so often a soprano practices her scales from an open second story window while you drink to her tunes.

For more about coffee history in general, my favorite book is: Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World by Mark Pendergrast

Cafe Vanvitelli

2010-11-24T06:00:00.002+01:00

The Espresso Break: Luigi Vanvitelli was one of the most celebrated baroque architects in Naples. While still in Rome, he worked on the construction of the Trevi Fountain and stabilized the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. The Bourbon King Charles called Vanvitelli to Naples, where the architect spent the larger bulk of his life constructing the Royal Castle of Caserta. He also designed the Palazzo Reale.

The Bourbons had visions of not only grandeur, but of wiping out poverty throughout the Kingdom. To that end, King Charles III of Bourbon commissioned not Vanvitelli, but Ferdinando Fuga in 1751 to build a structure that became known as the Albergo dei Poveri (House of the Poor). Work continued until 1829. Unfortunately, the mammoth building was used only for a short time and now, in the last few decades, has been under renovation.

Albergo dei Poveri

Albergo dei Poveri

Today, across the street from the Albergo dei Poveri is Cafe Vanvitelli. Touting all sorts of espresso twists, I treated myself to the Cappuccino Galak e Lindo. They wouldn't tell me what's inside -- the drink is proprietary -- but suffice to say that it included milk foam, white chocolate syrup, and an espresso shot. The sweet taste was simply royal:

Da Portare (Coffee To Go)

2010-11-22T06:00:00.007+01:00

The Espresso Break: One form of coffee break that flourishes in Naples is the caffe da portare or caffe to go. At any cafe-bar, a customer can ask to take coffee on the go, in which case the barista makes the caffe in a plastic cup the size of a tazzino, putting the plastic cup right under the machine next to the tazzino, then providing a packet of sugar and a clear plastic stirrer.

But another bustling sight on the Naples landscape is always the coffee waiter who carries a tray of plastic coffee cups, filled with hot espresso and carefully covered on the top with aluminum foil. Businesses may call in to order these drinks for delivery. Bus drivers may have a coffee served to them at a stop. At any given time throughout the day, a store clerk, a museum tour guide, or even a barista will stop everything for a moment to take their own caffe riposo. In these few moments, everyone knows that they must wait until the coffee moment is finished – then, and only then, the frenetic bustle of the Neapolitan service sector may strike up again.

Nut Caffe at Piazza Garibaldi

2010-11-20T06:00:00.115+01:00

The Espresso Break: The once dark and ominous, Piazza Garibaldi has been completely revamped. The seedy train station has turned into a large shopping mall with clothing stores underground and a two-story bookstore on the top floor. The surrounding area is also the most multi-cultural location in the city. One block away, the African community lays out all sorts of wares along the streets. Close by, the Chinese community has restaurants as well as their own shops, including hair dressers and clothing stores.

African Market

African Wares

Chinese Market

Garibaldi is the man considered responsible for uniting all of Italy together in 1871. The history, of course, is more complicated, but suffice to say that Neapolitans weren't completely happy with unification. Southern Italy had been its own illustrious Kingdom with magnificent monarchs residing in Naples. The rich and famous, for centuries, had always stopped in this city. After unification, Rome became the capital of Italy and the importance of Naples eclipsed. So too, the Piazza which gives tribute to Garibaldi, has its many sides. A chaotic central train and bus station, it lies at the heart of the city and provides for wide diversity of people, shopping, crime, and, most importantly, excellent espresso twists.

The café bar Antico Napoletana gives an array of coffee beverages from Kinder Caffe to more exotic orange twists. Caffe Nocciola was the drink recommended by the barista. He coated a small glass with zucchero-crema and then drizzled nutty syrup from an automatic glass dispenser. A half teaspoon of cacao and the glass teacup was ready to be put under the machine for a shot of espresso. The result – after copious stirring of the sluggish ingredients – was a syrupy consistency drunk in two or three sips.

Coffee Desserts

2010-11-18T06:00:00.023+01:00

The Espresso Break: The current celebrated gastronome of Naples is Luciano Pignataro who has a wine blog as well as a fabulous book called I Dolci Napoletani. He also acknowledges the importance of coffee, providing several wonderful recipes that use the dark brew. Here are my translations of several desserts listed in the book:

Caprese

Ingredients for 12 persons:

250 g of dark chocolate

1 small cup of espresso

250 g minced almonds

6 eggs (only the yolks) and the egg whites separate

1 whole egg

250 g sugar

225 g butter

1 package of baking powder

Melt in a double saucepan the dark chocolate and the espresso. In another double saucepan melt the butter with the baking powder. Put together the sugar, the egg yolks with the whole egg and separately assemble egg whites of six eggs with a pinch of salt. At the end, whisk everything with the minced almonds for five minutes. Butter a baking dish and add a little flour to prevent the dessert from sticking to the pan. Pour the mixture in the dish and bake slowly for thirty minutes.

Restaurant: Alberto, Ischia Ponte

Gelato al caffe

Ingredients for four persons:

600 g of whole milk

fresh whipping cream

60 g of milk powder

100 g of egg yolks

40 g of trimoline

120 g of unrefined sugar

200 g of coffee grains

6 g of stabilizer for ice cream

Leave fused together in the refrigerator for at least twenty-four hours the coffee grains in the milk and whipping cream. Pass through a strainer and make an English cream by uniting the other ingredients. Cook at 82 degrees. Leave to rest and preserve at minus ten degrees.

Restaurant: Le Trabe, Capaccio

Tiramisu di rocotta di bufala

Ingredients for 8-10 persons:

700 g of ricotta

5 red eggs

200 g of dusting sugar

1 teaspoon of moscato

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

1 teaspon of rum

500 g of sponge cake

espresso

Beat the eggs with the dusting sugar well. Add the ricotta and the moscato, the lemon juice and the rum. Mix everything well until it becomes a creamy texture. In an oven-proof dish create a layer of sponge cake thinly sliced and soaked in espresso. On top spread the ricotta mixture. Continue to layer in this way until the dish is filled. Coast everything with a powdering of cacao using a think sieve. Put in the refrigerator and serve after at least three hours.

Restaurant: La Pergola, Capaccio

Benissimo!

Canzone e Caffe

2010-11-17T06:00:00.002+01:00

Caffe Gambrinus (Once called Il Gran Caffe)

The Espresso Break: After Domenico Barbaja's death in 1841, the theater culture of Naples continued its illustrious reputation, as did coffee. In 1860, The Gran Caffe opened one block from the Teatro San Carlo. A cafe-chantant (or singing cafe) in the style of Parisian coffee houses, it hosted painters, writers, and famous actors of the day. The name changed in 1870 to Gambrinus and then hosted, among others, Oscar Wilde.

As a singing cafe, Gambrinus and the rest of the city saw the rise of the Neapolitan canzone. Wandering street musicians or posteggiatori went from restaurant to restaurant serenading for tips. Mostly males singing solo and in dialect, they played on either a mandolin or guitar. By 1918 coffee tradition in Naples had taken such hold of the city that Giuseppe Capaldo wrote A Tazze E Caffe with music added by Vittorio Fassone. The song is so entertaining, it's worth posting the translation here:

Lyrics to 'A Tazza 'E Caffe :

Vurría sapé pecché si mme vedite,

facite sempe 'a faccia amariggiata...

Ma vuje, quanto cchiù brutta ve facite,

cchiù bella, a ll'uocchie mieje, v'appresentate...

I' mo nun saccio si ve n'accurgite!

Ma cu sti mode, oje Bríggeta,

tazza 'e café parite:

sotto tenite 'o zzuccaro,

e 'ncoppa, amara site...

Ma i' tanto ch'aggi''a vutá,

e tanto ch'aggi''a girá...

ca 'o ddoce 'e sott''a tazza,

fin'a 'mmocca mm'ha da arrivá!...

Cchiù tiempo passa e cchiù v'arrefreddate,

'mméce 'e ve riscaldá..."Caffè squisito!..."

'o bbello è ca, si pure ve gelate,

site 'a delizia d''o ccafé granito...

Facenno cuncurrenza â limunata...

Ma cu sti mode, oje Bríggeta,

tazza 'e café parite:

sotto tenite 'o zzuccaro,

e 'ncoppa, amara site...

Ma i' tanto ch'aggi''a vutá,

e tanto ch'aggi''a girá...

ca 'o ddoce 'e sott''a tazza,

fin'a 'mmocca mm'ha da arrivá!...

Vuje site 'a mamma d''e rrepassatore?...

E i', bellezza mia, figlio 'e cartaro!...

Si vuje ve divertite a cagná core,

i' faccio 'e ccarte pe' senza denare...

Bella pareglia fóssemo a fá 'ammore!

Ma cu sti mode, oje Bríggeta,

tazza 'e café parite:

sotto tenite 'o zzuccaro,

e 'ncoppa, amara site...

Ma i' tanto ch'aggi''a vutá,

e tanto ch'aggi''a girá...

ca 'o ddoce 'e sott''a tazza,

fin'a 'mmocca mm'ha da arrivá!..

Translation:

I’d like to know why, when you see me

You always look so disappointed

But even when you put on that bitter expression on your face

You still look so beautiful to my eyes

Yes, you look wonderful to my eyes

I’m not sure you realize that

But to me, Brigette

You are like a cup of coffee.

Sweet as sugar underneath,

And bitter on the surface.

So I'll stir and stir so much,

And stir and stir some more.

Till the sugar from the bottom of the cup, finally rises to the top for me.

Time goes and you get colder and colder

Rather than being ‘a good cup of coffee’

The fact is that even if you get as cold as ice

You would still be some delicious iced coffee

Even better than a simple lemon slush

But to me, Brigette

You are like a cup of coffee.

Sweet as sugar underneath,

And bitter on the surface.

So I'll stir and stir so much,

And stir and stir some more.

Till the sugar from the bottom of the cup,

Finally rises to the top for me.

You are the mother of a teaser,

And I, darling, am the son of a fortune teller

If you have turn the lover's card,

I'll tell your fortune, free of charge,

What a nice couple we would make.

Thanks to Tiziana Cirillo for a wonderful translation of the Neapolitan!

To hear the song, click here

Caffe Shakerato & Caffe del Nonno

2010-11-16T06:00:00.000+01:00

The Espresso Break: Although you can't find Vincenzo Corrado's cold coffee cream recipe in cafe-bars today, two variations exist on the 18th century treat that can be ordered almost anywhere: Caffe Shakerato and Caffe del Nonno.

At Caffe Del Centro Antico (Via B. Croce, 15) they freeze espresso into ice flakes. They then add several teaspoons of sugar and put the concoction into a blender, mixing the ingredients on high for a good ten minutes. As the sugar and espresso chips whip up, airs fluffs the drink and turns it into a thick white color. The barista swirls small lines of caramel, chocolate or nut syrup inside the glass cup and then pours the liquid inside. The beverage tastes like a thick drinkable dessert. The sweetened grains of iced espresso have a sandy texture.

Caffe Shakerato

At the Neapolitan chain cafe, Il Caffe di Napoli (this one along Corso Umberto), they create the drink in a similar way, but call it the Grandfather Coffee or Caffe del Nonno:

Caffe del Nonno

Both these drinks, along with the Caffe Granita, are most commonly ordered during the hot summer months.

The Galant Cook

2010-11-14T09:00:00.130+01:00

The Espresso Break: Celebrated gastronome, Vincenzo Corrado (1736-1836) is a household name in the Campania region. Having studied mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy, Corrado taught French and Spanish for a time while writing culinary books. Then in 1773 Corrado published Il Credenziere di Buon Gusto (The Belief in Good Taste) which became a huge success, catapulting Corrado into a renown reputation as a chef.

In his book, he also described more than eleven ways to prepare coffee, explaining that coffee held an important international position in gastronomy. His recipes for coffee are of intense interest to a coffee lover like me. Here are some of his recipes, as translated (loosely) from Lejla Mancusi Sorrentino's wonderful little book, Manuale del perfetto amatore del caffe:

Coffee Cream

Take roasted coffee and sprinkle into milk that is warmed in a vase above coals. When the coffee flavor has extracted into the liquid, pass the milk through a sieve. Cool the liquid and then mix in sugar, egg yolk, and rice-flour. Cook together. Serve cold.

Milk Sorbet and Coffee

Create a strong concoction of coffee with three carafs of milk. Dissolve twenty-four egg yolks and three pounds of sugar. Combine with the milk and cook until thickened. Pass through a sieve and allow to cool until frozen.

Sugar Plumb Coffee

Roast coffee and then grind the beans until they turn to dust. Create a paste from the powdered coffee as well as some sugar until both together turn into a kind of gum. Turn the paste into tiny coffee beans and bake in an oven. The beans turn into candy.

Liquor Caffe

Take two liters of boiling water and add six ounces of roasted and ground coffee. Leave together for two hours and then pass the water through a sieve. Mix the water with two pounds of sugar and two liters of liquor. Filter the beverage through a cloth.

Corrado loved the aristocracy and wanted to choreograph lavish meals to match their style. During his lifetime, he held famous banquets that landed him the moniker of Galant Chef. By 1794 he wrote another book called Il Cuoco Galante (The Galant Cook) where he elaborated on Neapolitan cooking. This book is still available in major bookshops throughout Campania.

Touting simple Neapolitan recipes, it's interesting to note that Vincenzo Corrado died at the age of 100 years old.

The Odious Women 3-Day Tour

2010-11-12T06:00:00.006+01:00

I hope you've enjoyed my Odious Women Tour. My biographies, this month, come to an end. If you would like to take a walking tour of the region, enjoying the major sights through the eyes of prominent historical women, here's my suggested route:

Day #1: Downtown Naples

1) Start at Piazza del Plebiscito and walk up the steps behind the Piazza. You'll pass the Industrial Arts Museum. Take a left on any street and then start making your way up to Pizzafalcone where the siren Parthenope was born. Lady Hamilton and her husband also had a villa here.

2) Return to Piazza del Plebiscito and continue to the Teatro San Carlo. You can take a tour of the theater or purchase tickets for a show. The gambling mezzo-soprano Isabella Colbran performed here. You can also search for the bust of her lover, Domenico Barbaja.

3) In the distance you'll see the Castel Nuovo where Queen Joanna I was raised by her grandfather Robert the Wise. Petrach, among others, also stayed in this castle.

4) Next, head down Via Toledo where you pass Piazzetta di Matilde Serao. Pick up Il Mattino in honor of the journalist, Matilde Serao, who founded the Neapolitan newspaper. Many other palazzos are along this street, including that of Rossini, Isabella Colbran's husband. The Galleria di Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano houses Caravaggio's painting The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula. Artemisia Gentileschi studied under this Baroque painter for a time.

5) From Via Toledo head to Piazza Del Gesu Nuovo and then take a right onto Via Santa Chiara. Here, you can enter the Spanish tiled cloister where the Clarissa Nuns still live today. Search for the remains of Queen Joanna I whose body was dumped somewhere inside.

6) Walk along the bustling Via S. Biagio Dei Librai and take a left on Via Duomo. One block up and to your right, you'll see the Castel Capuano in the distance where Queen Joanna II had her court.

7) Take Via Duomo until you reach the Naples Cathedral. A side chapel here pays tribute to Saint Restituta, the African saint whose remains came to Naples with San Guadioso. This basilica was originally dedicated to her and in the side chapel you can still visit part of the original paleo-Christian basilica.

8) Going down the hill from Via Duomo, you'll reach Piazza Garibaldi. Eusapia Palladino used to give her seances at a hotel here that no longer exists. Nearby, there's an English language cemetery. Eusapia lived and died in an apartment somewhere along the adjacent street.

9) A few blocks from Piazza Garibaldi and a stone's throw from the port, the Piazza Mercato was once known as Execution Square. The Parthenopean Rebel, Eleonora Fonseca Pimental was executed in this space surrounded by three churches. Today, the space is often used as a soccer field.

10) Return to Via Duomo and walk past the Cathedral all the way up to Piazza Cavour. A bus takes you from here to the Museo di Capodimonte where you can search for the works of Artemisia Gentileschi.

11) Head back by bus to Piazza del Plebiscito and walk up Via Chiaia until you reach the Bay of Naples. Mary Shelley purportedly came up with her idea of the character Frankenstein along this promenade. The street is called Parthenope after the siren who lured Ulysses onto the shores. The Castel dell'Ovo is where Joanna I was held captive for a time.  Sophia Loren dined at the restaurant La Bersagliera and they have pictures of her inside.

12) Heading along the Bay away from the downtown area, you'll hit Via Posillipo where the Palazzo Donna'Anna has the ghostly legends of Anna Carafa and Queen Joanna II. The opulent villas along this street also have many beaches for swimming and sunbathing during the summer.

Day #2: Caserta -- Torre Annunziata -- Salerno

1) The Reggia di Caserta is where the Bourbons created their Versailles-like court.  Queen Maria Sophia lived here and you can see some of her apartments as well as her portrait in the Art Gallery.  (The Caserta Palace is also part of my Bourbon Tour.)

2) Head out to Torre Annunziata where you can visit Oplontis, the villa of Roman Emperor Nero's wife, Poppaea.

3) End the day at the Medical School in Salerno, about an hour drive from Oplontis. The physician Trotula worked at this medical school, once considered the best in Europe.

Day #3: The Phlegraean Fields

1) Visit the trapezoidal Antro della Sibilla where the Cumean Sybil uttered her oracles.

2)  Make an appointement with Carlo Santillo to see the Grotto della Sibilla, located at Lago Averno where the Cimmerean Sybil gave her oracles.

3) The Tomb of Agrippina in Bacoli has an eerie old theater said to hold the remains of Roman Emperor Nero's mother.  There's an Underwater Diving School up the street, restaurants along the water, a Lido, and a promenade for walking.

4) Pozzuoli is a port town with an amphitheater, several archeological ruins, and a wonderful nightlife. St. Paul was said to have landed on these shores one his way to Rome. For the Odious Women Tour, Pozzuoli is the birthplace of the forever elegant actress, Sophia Loren.